Falcons Fly in for International Migratory Bird Day

Saturday is Kodiak’s celebration of International Migratory Bird Day, and a couple of birds will be flying in for the occasion via plane.

The visiting falcons – the merlin and the peregrine – are found all over North America, including Kodiak. They’ll be dropping by the Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge visitor center for this weekend’s celebratory event, which the refuge is holding in conjunction with the Audubon Society.

Refuge bird biologist Robin Corcoran says the animals will arrive with a handler from the Bird Treatment and Learning Center in Anchorage.

She says the refuge has an ongoing relationship with the Center.

Since Kodiak doesn’t have rehab facilities itself, all the injured birds head out to Anchorage for care.

“They are an all-volunteer operation, and they have to meet the plane and pick the bird up. So, Ravn is generous enough to fly the birds in for free, and mostly we’re talking about bald eagles, and so, we send in quite a few birds to them every year and they take care of them. And if they’re releasable, sometimes they send them back. With the eagles, sometimes they’ll actually release them there on the Kenai.”

The handler will present the birds Saturday at noon. Earlier in the day at 10 a.m., the refuge and Audubon Society will also lead families in building bird feeders.